(''no relation of the film director Fred Zinnemann'') John Frederick Zimmerman Jr. (27 August 1871 – 12 December 1948) was an American theater manager and stage producer.

Life

John Frederick Zimmerman was born on 27 August 1871, son of

J. Fred Zimmerman Sr. John Frederick Zimmerman Sr. (1843–1925) was an American theatre magnate. He was one of the members of the Theatrical Syndicate, which monopolized theatrical bookings in the United States for several years. Early years Zimmerman was born in 18 ...

(1843–1925) and Emma A Wetherell. His father was a Philadelphia-based theater magnate, known for his role in the

Theatrical Syndicate Starting in 1896, the Theatrical Syndicate was an organisation that in the United States that controlled the majority of bookings in the country's leading theatrical attractions. The six-man group was in charge of theatres and bookings. Beginnin ...

. J. Fred Jr. became manager of the Chestnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, and later managed vaudeville theaters and cinemas. Zimmerman married the actress

Ethel Jackson Ethel Jackson (November 1, 1877 – November 23, 1957) was a United States actress and comic prima donna"Ethel Jackson Married", ''The New York Times'', February 4, 1902, p. 2. of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She appeared in Broadway ...

in 1902 at St. James Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. On August 3, 1908 Jackson obtained an interlocutory decree for a divorce without a co-respondent being named. According to the stipulation of the final divorce decree, issued in October 1908, Jackson was permitted to remarry but Zimmerman could not legally remarry while his former wife was still living. In October 1910 it was disclosed that Zimmerman was married again and had been for some time. His wife was Grace Rankin, a member of the ''Miss Innocence'' company of Anna Held. In 1919 John Golden arranged a meeting with his fellow producers Fred Zimmerman,

Archibald Selwyn Archibald Selwyn (also Arch or Archie Selwyn; 3 November 1877 – 21 June 1959) was an American play broker, theater owner and stage producer who had many Broadway successes. He and his brother Edgar Selwyn were partners. They were among the foun ...

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

Winchell Smith Winchell Smith (5 April 1871 – 10 June 1933) was an American playwright, known for big hit works such as '' Brewster's Millions'' (1906) and '' Lightnin' '' (1918). Many of his plays were made into movies. He spent freely but left a large fort ...

and

L. Lawrence Weber L. Lawrence Weber (c. 1872 – 22 February 1940) was an American sports promoter, stage show producer and theater manager. He was active in arranging Vaudville, vaudeville shows, legitimate theater and films. He once tried to bypass laws against im ...

with the goal of cooperating on common issues such as censorship and ticket speculation. He wanted to set up a forum so the producers could share ideas, and wanted stop the rival organizations poaching each other's stars. This led to formation of the Producing Managers' Association, which may have inadvertently shown actors the value of organizing into the Actors' Equity Association. Zimmerman Family mausoleum

J. Fred Zimmerman Jr. died in 1948 and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Works

J. Fred Zimmerman Jr. produced: * ''The Measure of a Man'' (1906) * ''Inside the Lines'' (1915) * ''Pals First'' (1917) * ''This Way Out'' (1917)

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmerman, J. Fred Jr. 1871 births 1948 deaths 20th-century theatre managers American theatre managers and producers Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Businesspeople from Philadelphia